Corruption of the King, The Shadow of the Shinobi
by ChidoriSasuke
Summary: When a member of the monkey team is stricken with a mysterious illness, an investigation reveals a mystery much deeper than what lie on the surface, ultimately leading into an intricate web of lies, deceit and betrayal.
1. A Friendly Game of Hide and Seek

Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go!

Chapter 1: To Find A Robot Monkey "The Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins with But a Single step."

Chiro stepped cautiously through the hallways of the gargantuan Super Robot. Endless dark corridors streched before him, and somewhere in these corridors were five monkeys. He tried calling them by name,  
"Gibson? Nova? Antauri? Sprx? Otto? Aww, c'mon you guys it isn't funny anymore. Where are you"  
buzzzzzzz Chiro paused when he heard this noise, the small echoing of his worn blue boots faded as he stood still in the deserted corridor. No noise could be heard except for that small, incessant buzzing.  
"Who was that? Gibson, was that you," Chiro asked, his curiosity aroused.  
Whoever it was, Chiro took off a full speed to find him or her, the echoing of his boots spread throughout the dank, faded corridors of the Super Robot, his orange scarf pulled back, trailing a few feet behind him. BUZZZZZZZ The buzzing was getting louder and louder.  
"Whoever you are, I got you now," Chiro laughed.  
He pivoted on his heels into another dark corridor and found two medium sized figures hunched in the deep shadows. One of the shadows was the cause of the buzzing, and every now and then a small spark flickered onto the cold floor of the corridor, then fizzed and died.  
"C'mon out you two, I found you," Chiro said triumphantly.  
"Aww, no fair," one of the figures said. It was a green armored monkey that had said this, Otto. Beside him was a red armored monkey, Sprx-77, or as he was more commonly known, Sprx.  
"How'd you find us so fast Chiro," Otto asked confounded.  
Sprx's tail flicked in annoyance.  
"Gee, I wonder? It certainly couldn't have been because of these could it," he asked grabbing a running buzzsaw coming from Otto's hand, then thrusting it down hard.  
"Told ya, you shouldn't have put in the upgrade today," he continued, still really irritated.  
"Well, I didn't know it was going to do that, it was only supposed to boost my saw's drivecore and revving speed," then, mumbling to himself added, "Perhaps it was a malfunction in the anti-locking mechanism or the drivetrain of the blade"  
"I think the malfunction is in your brain, maybe you should check it out?!" Chiro was a bit disturbed, he had seen Sprx in foul moods before, but this time it was in a league all it's own, he was actually being cruel.  
"Whoa, Sprx! Don't you think that's a little, I dunno, harsh"  
Sprx looked at Chiro and stayed silent for a moment then spoke up,  
"Sorry, kid. You know me though, I can't stand losing"  
"I know, but to take it out on Otto? C'mon Sprx, you're better than that. I mean, even if it was his fault, that's not how you would usually be," Chiro added deeply concerned.  
"Yeah, sorry, I was just being overly competitive. Sorry, Otto"  
"Aw, no problem, I'll get the drivetrain checked out, wanna come with me," Otto asked, oddly excited.  
Sprx cocked his brow in confusion, "Erm... No thanks, um, I think I have other plans," He replied chuckling uneasily.  
"Oh well, your loss," Otto said nonchalantly before walking off whistling a random tune.  
Chiro called after him, "Hey Otto! Aren't you going to help us find Nova, Gibson and Antauri"  
Otto didn't answer, he simply flicked his hand as if to tell Chiro and Sprx 'Go on without me'. The halls fell silent again with only the echo of Chiro's boot and the clanking of Sprx's armored paws to disrupt the calm of the emptied corridors. They walked for what seemed like hours, and Chiro's patience was starting to wear this, as was his energy. Finally Chiro collapsed to the ground. "Phew, Hide and Seek was never like this at Shuggazoom Elementary"  
He sat panting on the ground, as Sprx stopped, looming over him. His ears perked up, as he fidgeted with a dial on the reverse end.  
"Kid, I think you should hear this," Sprx said aplifying the volume of the reception.  
clank clank clank clank clank  
"Huh? What is that," Chiro asked, fully confused.  
Sprx let out a smug smile, "Sounds like we have someone skulking in the ventilation"  
"Gotcha," Chiro said, "I know how to get 'em down. CHIRO SPEARO"  
A large amount of energy gathered in his fist, creating a charge of lightning, easily visible now, and with almost no warning, flung the charge at the ventilation shaft. The resulting explosion caused the shaft to fall creating a deafeningly loud clang shattering the peace once more.  
Sprx's jaw dropped as he turned slowly toward Chiro and pointed at the newly destroyed ventilation shaft, his eye twitched in disbelief as his mouth hung agape.  
"Chiro... Why did you do that? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH ITS GONNA COST US TO REPLACE THAT SHAFT?! We don't run on money, so right now our best hope is to have Otto fix"  
"Sprx, look! We have a guest," Chiro chuckled.  
A blue armored monkey, Gibson, rose from the debris.  
"Oww... Did you truly have to be so aggressive? Oh, and now I'm all dirty. Ah well, I supposed you found me fair and square Chiro, good luck finding Nova and Antauri. I assume you already found Otto"  
"Yeah, but wait, aren't you coming with us," Chiro asked quizzically.  
"No, I apologize but I can't. You see, I've found an odd residue in the metal of our ventialtion shafts, I feel that I should probably analyze it in my laboratory," Gibson responded astutely.  
Sprx let out a slight cough,  
"coughyounerdcough"  
"That was quite immature, Sprx. Do watch that," He said as he blew a small raspberry in Sprx's direction, the pivoted on his hind heel and marched out into the inky blackness of the rustic maze. Sprx nudged Chiro in the shoulder, and chuckled, "Yeah, like he's really one to talk, right Kid"  
"Hehe... Yeah, totally," Chiro chuckled nervously.  
"Hey Chiro, five bucks says we find Nova next," Sprx laughed, half joking, half serious.  
"No way, Antauri is next," Chiro responded laughing.  
They moved quickly through the corridors, and once more, Sprx picked up something. Chiro knew this too he slumped into the shadows, making his orange and white jumpsuit look rather discolored.  
"Got someone," Sprx bragged, "71 meters northwest of our position"  
"I got it," Chiro said confidently, "CHIRO SPI"  
"Yeah, um... Kid, if you ever pull something like that in close quarters again, I'll place you in an Iron Maiden and have Otto give you a few "upgrades"  
"Do we even have an Iron Maiden"  
"Do you want to find out," Sprx asked sinisterly.  
Something was odd about Sprx's attitude, normally he would laugh and say 'Just Kidding' or something like that, but this time he seemed perfectly serious. Chiro wondered if Sprx could be- Nah, it couldn't be. Chiro quickly shrugged off the thought and pressed onward. "How close are we Sprx," he asked, a bit tired.  
"We should be getting close now," Sprx replied, checking a built in radar.  
"Well, what are we waiting for," Chiro asked taking off at full speed.  
"Kid, wait up! You... Oh, why do I even bother," Sprx questioned rhetorically.  
Chiro flew down the halls completely blind, yet somehow knowing where he was going. He moved swiftly through the passageways, wind blowing back his slick, black hair. Sprx followed not too far behind. The echos of his boots sounded the same, until suddenly , they changed as a resounding clang echoed out.  
"Huh? What was that," Chiro asked as he looked down, an notice a jutting piece of metal. Or, as he saw when he looked more closely, armor!  
"Gotcha! Show yourself," He commanded loudly, laughing.  
"Geez, is your ego big enough," Sprx asked silently, brow twitching in annoyance.  
"Well, I see you have found me. Very good work, Chiro, Sprx. I don't suppose you have found Nova yet," The silver armored monkey, Antauri, questioned.  
"No"  
"Not yet. "  
They replied in almost synchronous unison.  
"Then, I believe I will escort you, that is, if you will permit me," Antauri replied, being exceedingly polite.  
"Thanks, we could use a little help. By the way, do you know what I hit in the hallway," Chiro asked, interested.  
"That was my elbow. You see, I was meditating, trying to locate your position. It was a rather risky gambit, and I suppose it failed," Antauri said, with just the slightest hint of irritation in his voice.  
"Antauri, do you know where Nova is," Sprx asked, sounding oddly desperate.  
"Yes, I located her a few moments ago, however I am afraid I can't reveal her location to you," He replied, calmly.  
"Shoulda figured that," Chiro said, slumping.  
As he regained his composure, he noticed something odd about Sprx, for the slightest moment he could have sworn that he saw a fanged sneer. What was going on? Again he shrugged it off and decided to keep moving. "Antauri, can you give us any hint toward where Nova is," Chiro asked hopefully. He went into a meditative state, becoming completely entranced as he attempted to locate Nova.  
For a few minutes, he went fully still, no sound to be heard aside from slowly whirring servos inside Antauri. After a few minutes, he awoke and responded.  
"She appears to be moving at a rapid pace, straight for... Us? Rather odd, she should be hiding, not running toward us," Antauri said, confused.  
"What? Why has she stopped? What is she doing," He added, even more confused.  
"I got her," Sprx assured, "Antauri can you grab my arm and phase my magnet's range into the the vents"  
"I am not fully sure that would work, but it's worth a try," Antauri replied, then, as his claws turned to a rather light blue color, he grabbed Sprx's arm, which had now turned to a magnet, and faced it upwards toward the ventilation shaft's opening.  
"MAGNA BALL BEAM SPLITTER," Sprx hollered as he fired a red beam straight through the vents.  
"Sprx! What are you doing?! We're trying to catch her not KILL her," Chiro screamed, truly concerned.  
"Don't worry kid, I cut the strength from the attack to the point where it's really just a superpowered magnet. Well, more of a superpowered magnet," Sprx chuckled, not understanding Chiro's worry.  
"We got her," Sprx replied.  
Finally, Nova dropped from the vents, arms and legs crossed, tail slung over her shoulder. She looked like an child throwing a temper tantrum.  
"Aww, no fair. You guys cheated," Nova pouted.  
"Heh. Nice to see you too. By the way, nobody said we couldn't use our weapons," Sprx replied, pointing a figure at Nova matter-of-factly.  
"Yeah, but your weapon is a magnet, Sprx. I thought that went without saying," Nova countered, truly annoyed.  
"You know me, sweet cheeks. Nothing goes without saying," he replied becoming very cocky.  
He took a HARD slap across the face, one that could have dented even diamond.  
Nova massaged her palm and spoke, eyes closed.  
"Call me that one more time and we'll see just how durable that helmet is, won't WE," she spouted, an irritated smirk growing across her mouth.  
"Yes, ma'am," Sprx replied, bowing subserviantly.  
Then, as if nothing had ever happened, Nova stood before a dumbfounded, shocked Chiro and said,  
"See Chiro, that's how you deal with bullies, or in this case, clueless robotic monkeys, RIGHT SPRX"  
"Yes ma'am," he replied, obviously watching his every word.  
Chiro felt a small urge to stand at attention when Nova looked at him. He knew she was strong, but never THAT strong!  
"Well, it looks like you've found everyone! Let's check your time... Pretty good, but not the best I've seen,  
Chiro," Nova said, expectantly.  
"Well, what was my time," He asked interested.  
"9 minutes, 21 seconds, pretty good, but again, I think you can do better. Well, now that everyone has been found, we should probably be heading back"  
"Right. Computer, terminate Holo-Simulation," Antauri commanded.  
Suddenly, they heard a large crash coming from Gibson's laboratory. This was quickly followed by indistinct yelling.  
"Hold on," Sprx said, "I'll try to figure out what they're saying." He tuned his receptors to pick up a frequency inside Gibson's lab. He stopped fidgeting with the dial, obviously having found the correct frequency, and, oddly enough began laughing.  
"Kid, you have to hear this," he laughed, "It's hilarious"  
Chiro listened in, and what he heard was very odd.  
"Otto, what are you doing? No wait, don't touch tha-- Oh no. Otto, stop"  
"Calm down Gibson, I'm just upgrading your computer. Wow, how old is this thing"  
"It's not a computer, it's a highly sensitive Van Der Graff Generator! Stop touching it"  
"What you need a Van Thingy for"  
"Van Der Graff Generator, and you wouldn't understand! Oh...No! OTTO DON'T, GET AWAY FROM THERE"  
"Aw, but you have the coolest stuff, Gibson. So much just waiting to be tweaked or modified! Just think of what I could do with the stuff in here"  
"I shudder at the very thought. Ahem Otto, I have very important business to attend to, so if you will just leave me be for a while"  
"Well, gee. If you wanted me to leave, why didn't you say so"  
"1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9"  
Chiro burst in the door, if only to save Otto. "Otto, um... can you help me out with something," he said, unsure of how to answer.  
"Sure, see ya later Gibson," Otto yelled back raucously.  
"I can't... wait," Otto said, nearly crushing a vial of some odd smelling liquid in his hands.  
Apparently, Gibson noticed something out of place, as he quickly looked down and began examining the foul smelling concoction.  
"Hello? What have we here," Gibson said, seemingly to himself, "Oh, no"  
His eyes stretched wide with horror as he pointed to the mixture, as if singling out an abomination. He panted heavily as his breath froze. Small beads of sweat dripped down from his helmet, splattering on the crystalline floor. His body shuddered violently, as he dropped to his knees. He panted harder and harder, now gasping for breath.  
"Wha...What's h-happening to m-me," he whispered in a deathly calm voice.  
He was now on all fours, coughing and shuddering, his head full drenched in a cold sweat. Then, all of a sudden, fell flat on the ground, shuddering more violently than ever before, and now murmuring in a feverish delusion. "UH! Never have I imagined such p-pain," Gibson hollered, thrashing violently, holding his head as if trying to keep it from splitting in half.  
He could not take the pain anymore, nor would he have to. For at that moment, the thrashing stopped. The cold sweat fell no more. Gibson's entire body lay limp, drenched with the sweat caused by the odd affliction.  
"Hey, Gibson I was wondering if," Chiro noticed the limp body lying on the slick tile, "GIBSON"  
He reached for a small communicator beneath his orange scarf.  
"MONKEY TEAM! ASSEMBLE, WE HAVE A PROBLEM! IT'S...Gibson"  
Within a few minutes, the monkeys were all gathered around their fallen comrade.  
"Hold on, I'll try to revive him," Sprx said, saddened.  
"No," Chiro whispered, "I, I don't know what it is, but somehow I know, it won't work." Chiro dropped to his knees and bowed over Gibson's limp body. He paused and rolled his hand slowly over Gibson, as if trying to destroy what caused this. A lone tear rolled downward from his left eye, followed by another, and another. He clenched one fist while keeping the other one on Gibson. He gritted his teeth and slowly said through rolling tears and sobs.  
"G-Gibson, what happened to you?" He whispered slowly, barely able to finish the sentence through tears.  
"Please, I don't care what happens to me, just please, please be ok. I'm not ready to say goodbye. If there is anything I could do, I will. Just please don't die on us, Gibson"  
Antauri put a hand on Chiro's shoulder and made a solemn nod. Chiro knew what this meant, nothing more was said. As if by command, Chiro rested his head on Gibson's chest, arms folded underneath him, and bawled. 


	2. Confrontation, Chiro's Anger

* * *

Chapter 2:  
Playing Man Down

"It is said, in times of great evil, the righteous will suffer most.  
The only way to survive is to suffer the sacrifice  
and forge ahead."

"No, this can't be happening! He can't be-"  
"It is better not to think about it. What happened has happened and it cannot be changed. You hold the power of the Power Primate, Chiro. You were chosen to lead us for a reason, listen to your heart, and it will show you what you must do," Antauri spoke with a mournful tone. But, he had a point, Chiro was chosen to lead the Hyperforce for a reason, and now was his time to step up to the plate.  
"Sprx, Nova, Otto, quarantine those chemicals, I want them outta here five minutes ago, and whatever you do, DON"T BREATH THEM. Antauri... If you would please," He nodded toward Gibson's body, he couldn't bare to look.  
It mattered not, Antauri understood. They shared a bond that required no words, as Antauri picked up the limp body of Gibson and phased out of the room. A few moments later he returned, his arms empty.  
"W-Where did you put him," Chiro asked, slowly gasping through wet sobs.  
"The Sleep Chamber, it was... Where he would have wanted to be kept," Antauri replied slowly, and, for a split moment, Chiro thought he saw a tear drop from Antauri's eyes.  
A small door, centered in the back of the room near some odd chemicals, slid open with a hiss. A small figure stepped forth from the shadows. It was a monkey, but not one of the Hyperforce. The monkey was clad in skull armor from head to tail. At the time of the skull helmet were two boned horns. The monkey's right eye seemed to be seared, resting below a layer of raw, pink flesh. His right arm had been shattered, but it appeared to have had some sort of claw at the end at some point. This monkey was no mystery to Chiro, he was the one who broken the monkeys right hand off at the wrist. He was also the one who had seared the monkeys right eye.  
"Mandarin," Chiro sneered with all the vile contempt he could put into the word.  
The monkey cackled, making the whole affair seem somewhat humorous.  
"So, I see old Gibson has found my "late" Christmas present. Tell me, did he like it? Was he frozen with joy?! Well boy, how did he like it," Mandarin queried, making it seem as if Gibson has simply recieved a present from a friend, instead of being...  
"SHUT UP! You had no right to attack him... Not here. What has he done to you?! What gives you the-"  
"Oh, hush up! You want to know what he did? He was born, that's what he did. He fought against me, that's what he did! But, most of all, he replaced me with a HAIRLESS APE LIKE YOU! So, I decided to take my revenge out on you! It was really quite ingenious actually. You see, I knew you would be planning some training simulation today, and knowing Gibson, I figured that he would choose someplace out of the way. In this case, the ventilation shafts. I lined them with a rare mineral, a metal-dissolvant. I also knew that Gibson would notice this, and because of his taste for knowledge, he would attempt to get a sample and try to find out what this mineral was. I knew you would find Gibson and seeing him in that state would crush you. The heart is the easiest place to injure and the hardest to heal," Mandarin finished, cackling devilishly.  
Teardrops burned his eyes, he despised Mandarin for this, but he forced himself to remain calm and speak.  
"What? What was the mineral you used," Chiro asked, swallowing his hatred, it burned his throat.  
"It wouldn't be any fun if I told you that," Mandarin laughed.  
That was the final straw, Chiro lost it. He flew toward Mandarin in a blind rage, his eyes reflecting pure vengeance.  
"THUNDER PUNCH!"  
The air crackled with tension as Chiro stared Mandarin straght in the eyes. They were stalemated, both refused to give.  
"I want you gone, Mandarin! I swear, if it takes my last breath... I will see Gibson avenged."  
Mandarin apparently tired of Chiro's babbling and deftly flicked him aside, looming over Chiro he spoke, his foul breath burning Chiro's nostrils.  
"You insignificant little gnat! To think you have the audacity to believe you contain the power to defeat me... If only you knew Chiro, if only you knew how easily I could strike you down and not lose a wink of sleep. The only thing stopping me is the fact that I love to see you squirm. But! If you ever step up to me like that again, I will crush you like the bug you are," Mandarin finished by driving his foot down hard on Chiro's chest, "Remember that pain, next time you will wish you felt like you do now."  
"Mandarin! That's enough, leave at once," Antauri ordered.  
"Why certainly, Antauri. I simply came here to deliver a message, and now that I have, I see no reason to stay in this disgusting place," Mandarin spat on the floor, then teleported out of the Super Robot, leaving Chiro in a great deal of pain.  
How could I be in any more pain than I am now? How could I ever feel worse... Gibson... I wasn't lying. I swear Mandarin will pay.  
Chiro groaned in pain as he sat up, then looked to Antauri.  
"C-Can I see him?"  
Antauri knew what he meant, it was on all their minds.  
"Yes. Don't worry Chiro. He looks almost peaceful, as if he's in a better place."  
Chiro choked back tears of hatred and sadness. They walked slowly, and even though it was only a two minute walk to the Sleep Chamber, each step weighed on him like a two thousand pound lead. Finally, after an unbearably quiet walk, they reached it.The dim red room seemed so different now, Chiro forced himself to keep moving. Antauri held Chiro's hand. This was something he needed to see. They stopped in front of Gibson's Pod. It took every ounce of will Chiro had to look in through the glass opening. There he was, it looked as if he was simply sleeping. His arms were crossed, and he floated slowly up and down in the pod. He kept hoping Gibson would wake up and everyone would hug and have a cheerful reunion. So much for fairy tales. He looked for a few moments at Gibson, then he took his leave.  
"Chiro? We finished getting rid of the chemicals like you asked," Nova said solemnly.  
"Wow, I never even got to say goodbye," Sprx whispered.  
"We're sorry you had you go through this Chiro," Otto apologized.  
"It's okay, there was no way you could have..."  
"Chiro, I know this is probably a bad time, but I'm picking up multiple hostiles on radar," Nova alerted, regretting it as soon as she said it.  
"If you choose to ignore this alert Chiro, I would fully understand, there are times when drastic actions are justified," Antauri said, in absolute seriousness.  
Gibson... I wasn't lying. I swear Mandarin will pay.  
"No, I made a vow to Gibson. If I skipped this mission out of fear, then Mandarin would win."  
"MANDARIN," Sprx, Nova, and Otto said simultaneously.  
"What's he got to do with this," asked a curious Otto.  
"He's the one who's responsible for Gibson." With that Chiro told the monkeys all about his encounter with Mandarin and his warning.  
"That sick little--" Sprx fumed, he hated Mandarin just as much, if not more than Chiro.  
"Well, what are we waiting for," cheered Otto, "Let's find him and take him out!"  
"Whoa, slow your roll there, Otto. First of all, we don't even know where he is, so we can't just jump around blindly until we find him," Nova explained.  
"Aww, why not," he asked dejectedly.  
"Because, Otto, if we are to find Mandarin now, we have to plan our moves. If he was able to infiltrate the Super Robot and... Well, let's just say at this moment we don't know what else he is capable of," Antauri replied, acting carefully to sidestep the Gibson subject.  
Nova peeked back at the radar, and said,  
"What? That's odd. Those hostiles are gone... Huh. Well, it's getting pretty late, perhaps we should turn in for the night," Nova suggested, and all of a sudden, noticed Sprx acting rather peculiar.  
"Sprx, I will take your pod tonight, I can understand your uneasiness about sleeping next to him tonight," Antauri offered, recognizing Sprx's peculiar attitude.  
"T-Thank you, Antauri, I'm sorry," Sprx replied, a bit embarrassed about seeming weak.  
"There is no need to apologize, Sprx," Antauri added, and for the first time that night, smiled.


	3. 343 Guilty Sprx

Chapter 3:

The Viral Beast

"Many things on this Earth are difficult

to understand, and there are some

mysteries that stay unsolved."

Chiro slept feverishly, seeing Mandarin in his dreams, everywhere he went. Mandarin would sneer and laugh at Chiro, bragging about how he was fully unstoppable. His plans would come to fruition as over and over again, Chiro watched the team fall. He awoke, a bead of salty sweat falling from his face, his heart pounding... Gibson... Suddenly, Chiro heard a small beeping.

"What?" He asked confused.

Surely nobody was messing with Gibson's pod, unless- No, Chiro thought, Mandarin wouldn't come back and try it again. At any rate, he jumped from the bed and ran straight down to the Sleep Chamber. He was already in Hyper mode, his orange and white jumpsuit glowing with seemingly an unlimited source of power. He scanned the room, but found nothing.

"What's going on here?" He whispered, a bit frightened.

He stepped slowly into the room watching his every step. Out of nowhere, a small fragment of rock flew straight toward him. He lookled quickly behind him and saw a small figure standing in the doorway. Mandarin. He pivoted and rolled under the rocks now whooshing over his head. Almost there, he thought, only a few more feet. Just as Chiro could make out the figure for sure, it ran.

"No! Get back here!" He screamed, as if his voice could freeze the suspect.

The figure jumped up into the main control room of the Super Robot, Chiro hot on its tail. The figure turned into a darkened corridor. Got you now, he laughed, that's a total dead end! Oddly, as he reached the corridor and walked in, the figure was gone. Chiro scratched his head in deep confusion.

"I know there are secret passages in here but, I don't think there's one in that corridor..."

A voice spoke up behind him,

"Hi Chiro!"

Chiro whirled around and saw a small dragon, rocking on the ground holding its feet. It looked like a little kid. In all honesty, good or evil, it was really cute.

"That was fun! Can we play again?" The tiny dragon spoke again.

"Huh? What's a dragon doing in the Super Robot?" Chiro wondered aloud.

The dragon shivered, throwing small droplets of water to the ground, and spoke.

"It's raining and cold outside and your Robot looked so warm and inviting. So, I thought I would crash here for a while. Is that okay?" It asked, sneezing silently.

"Um... I guess so. Just one question, who are you?"

The dragon slapped its claw to its head.

"How silly of me, can't believe I forgot! My name is Jamie."

"Okay, um... Jamie. How long have you been down here?" He asked curiously.

"I don't know. A few hours probably." Jamie replied.

Perfect, he thought, she probably saw who was in the sleep chamber!

"Jamie, did you see anyone over by that room?" He asked, pointing straight toward the dim, red room where the team slept.

"Well, there was one guy. I couldn't really tell who it was, he or she ran before I could catch them. The person disappeared into a black hallway. Weird, I know."

Chiro groaned slowly, in a rather irritated tone.

"That means that he got by twice. Who is this guy?" He screamed in full irritation.

"Now, if you don't mind... It's pretty late, and I'm feeling bushed." Jamie announced, letting out a high, squeaky yawn.

"Okay, good night, Jamie." Chiro replied, then to himself added, "I've got a monkey to find..."

He walked thorugh the silent body of the Super Robot, listening for any clue as to the intruder's whereabouts.

"C'mon! Cut me some slack... I don't even know where to look." He whimpered.

"Hey, it's awfully late to be wandering by yourself isn't it? It's not safe to be out at this time of night." A mysterious voice called out.

Chiro pivoted on his heels and took a hard club to the face. His vision went black... But, at the last moment, right before he lost consciousness, he could have sworn that he heard the word "Kid."

He awoke in the Super Robot's medical ward, surrounded by a team of concerned monkeys.

"We need to get the swelling down NOW!" He heard Nova shout.

"C'mon he's bleeding all over the place... What the heck happened to him?" Otto was just as confused as he was.

"Uh, his face... Wow, I'm in pain just looking at it." Sprx complained, absolutely serious. Nova, on the other hand, took this the wrong way.

"Sprx, you jerk! Cut it out!" Nova hit Sprx in the shoulder, not hard, but hard enough so that Sprx would know not to mess around right now.

They finally noticed he was awake, and tried desperately to console him.

"Let's get some anaesthetic over here... Don't worry Chiro, it's not as bad as it feels." Nova was trying to console Chiro as best she could, but she soon realized he knew what was going on.

"Hold on, what's that mark?" Antauri queried, noticing a small mark just below Chiro's left cheek.

Otto looked into it further and, suddenly stepped backward, eyes frozen in sheer terror.

"It's, it's... a square? Almost like the square from... a magnet?"

The entire team looked at Sprx, whose voice suddenly turned deeper as a wicked upward sneer grew.

"No use playing innocent now. That's right... Chiro knew too much about what had happened with Gibson. He was practically a witness. It was the perfect setup. I would have gotten away with it... But you had to keep poking your nose where it didn't belong! You could have stayed alive, Chiro... Why did you have to investigate? Why couldn't you mind your own business? I made the mistake of letting you live, but now, I'll finish what I started! And after I'm done with you... It's on to your little friend, Jamie."

The monkey team replied in unison,

"Jamie?"

Sprx let out a nasty grin.

"You mean to tell me, you haven't told them? Why haven't you mentioned that runty creature? If that's the case, I think I'll finish _her_ first and make you watch! Then I'll finish YOU!"

"NOO!" Chiro screamed as he tried desperately to attack.

"Shut up!" Screeched Sprx as he drove a hard punch to Chiro's arms and legs.

"Sprx! That's quite enough!" Antauri hollered in a commanding tone.

"You too, Antauri! I don't need to take orders from you! This entire team is doomed, and I will be the one to destroy it!" Sprx was obviously very confident in his abilities, perhaps overconfident... Chiro could probably use this.

"Sprx," He moaned weakly, "Who made you do this?"

"You need to ask? It was Skeleton King... He promised me money, fame, adoration, ultimate power!"

"He's deceiving you Sprx, this road will only lead to self destruction..." Antauri moaned, trying to stop Sprx's maniacal beliefs.

"Spare me the self righteous nonsense Antauri... Skeleton King has promised me things you can't imagine, power you could never even dream of... And all I have to do... Is destroy the Hyperforce!" He laughed madly as he swiftly drove a kick to Otto's chest, and then turned around to face Nova.

"There is no fairy tale ending for you this time... You will die along with the rest of the Hyperforce." He raised his hand as the magnet emerged, then drove it down.

Nova cringed as stood still, waiting for the killing blow, but when she opened her eyes the magnet stood inches from her body, as if frozen in time. She panted, truly frightened. What had stopped him? The answer stood behind him. Antauri had phased his hand into Sprx's head and shut him down.

"What Sprx attempted was unforgivable... To attack a member of the Hyperforce in cold blood... Sprx is to be expelled from the Hyperforce at dawn. Had he continued... We would have lost you." Antauri explained, in cold seriousness.

Chiro struggled to sit up, blood drops falling to the floor.

"No... That was not Sprx. It couldn't be. Sprx... He loves Nova. Even if he was corrupted by the Skeleton King, he wouldn't attack her like that. HE WOULDN'T!" He cried, as he had done a lot the past few days, and then continued.

"There has to be a reason! W-We can't just leave him to dry... Not like this."

"Chiro, protocol is very strict on this matter. He must be expelled. He made an attempt on Nova's life." Antauri replied, trying to keep Chiro calm.

"Forget protocol! This is a team member we're talking about leaving behind. A team member who fought alongside us through thick and thin... A team member we are talking about leaving. Doesn't he deserve a second chance?"

"It was not his fault Antauri... To punish him for something he was not in control of would be wrong. Does he not deserve a second chance?" A familiar voice piped up.

The entire monkey team toward the doorway and the figure standing on the threshold...


	4. A Child of Silver

Chapter 4:

Old Matters Resolved

"To those who understand everything

nothing is a surprise,

but some things are unexpected."

"Gibson?" The entire monkey team stared in complete shock. They had seen him die... They had placed his limp body in a makeshift memorial...

"Please, do you truly believe a few minor chemicals could cause my demise? They were pretty foul smelling, but hardly enough to count me among the deceased." Gibson laughed, and from the look of it was a tad shocked at the team's amazement.

"How? What had happened to you?" Chiro asked weakly.

"Well I-" Gibson's explanation was cut short as Nova hugged him tightly, sobbing.

"Gibson! You have no idea how much I-I missed you. I never even got to... Say goodbye..." She cried all over Gibson causing him to blush.

"Yes, well... Nova, do you think you could possibly, lighten up your... hug? I c-can't breathe." He wheezed, trying to squirm out of her iron clad grip.

"Oh, yeah... Sorry. I just really missed you!" She announced, blushing.

"Careful Nova! I don't think Sprx would like it if he knew about this." Otto warned, although secretly enjoying the moment.

"He'll be fine, wait until he finds out Gibson is still alive!"

"By the way Gibson, how did you survive the virus? What happened to you?" Antauri questioned, obviously extremely curious.

"Oh, yes. In all the confusion, I had forgotten to tell you. I did not do it myself, in all honesty."

With this, Gibson motioned to the doorway and called.

"You can come in now."

At this command, a small Robot Monkey of indeterminate color stepped into the room, bowing her head.

"Hi." The monkey said really shyly.

"This... is Kitty." Gibson announced.

"Kitty?" The monkey team asked confusedly.

"Yes well...Ahem That is what, that is what she prefers to be called. She saved me after all, it's really the least I could have done." He explained, shyly.

Otto let out a slight snicker.

"Hee... Kitty..."

Nova caught this and tapped him lightly on the shoulder.

"Oh... Grow up..."

"What? It's funny."

"Ssh! Gibson's talking."

"... I had been placed in my pod, Kitty found me. There was a corrupt gap in my core memory drive. She helped restore my memory, as well as repair my main drivecore. Once that was repaired, additional systems came back online. She really is quite the mechanic!"

Otto glared at Kitty, jealously.

"Hey! I'm the mechanic in this team... Nice to see I'm so easy to replace." He whined, then quickly stormed out of the room in a huff.

Chiro sat up, coughing.

"Hold on! Otto, co-come back. Nobody is replacing you. First of all, Kitty doesn't h-have the training to pilot the Super Robot. Second, when were any of you going to tell me there we-were more of you?" He asked, slightly irritated about the last part.

"Kitty is the child of Antauri and-"

"Gibson!" Antauri interrupted hastily, making a sign that told Gibson to drop the subject. "We had agreed not to speak of that."

"Huh? Speak of what?" Chiro asked, now interested.

"It is not a matter you need concern yourself with. Kitty's origin of creation is not to be spoken of. Do we have an understanding, Gibson?"

"Quite honestly, I see not what the big ordeal is about. Her manner of creation is not one to be ashamed of, Antauri."

"I understand that, however, I would hope that you would, in the future, honor my wishes on this matter. Now, are we clear on this, Gibson?"

"Crystal, I suppose. Although I do not see what the problem is with speaking of it, I shall honor your wishes." He answered respectfully.

"Thank you. As for the rest of the team, this matter is now closed, there is to be no speaking of Kitty in relation to me." Antauri noted with absolute seriousness,

"That seems a bit extreme, Antauri. To deny her as your child..." Chiro noticed Antauri acting a bit odd as he said this.

"I am in now way denying that Kitty is my child, Chiro. However, the terms of her creation and processes taken therein are not to be spoken of. Do we have an understanding?"

"Yes, I suppose if it's for the best." Chiro replied, a tiny bit saddened.

"Kitty is welcome to stay on as a passenger of the Super Robot, she will have full access to the facilities, in many ways, she will act as an additional member of the team."

"Chiro... I'm sorry." Kitty spoke quietly, in softened breaths.

"What are you talking about? What happened?" Chiro questioned, the color draining from his face at the thought of her being involved in- No! He couldn't, wouldn't think that!

"I- I was involved in the near death of Gibson... Mandarin... He said Gibson was an evil one, one who would harm me upon learning of my presence on the ship. I helped him plant the chemicals that caused... Well, you know." Kitty recalled mournfully.

"When I learned the truth... I made my way to Gibson's pod. I had to reactivate him, bring him back to life. I couldn't take a member of the hyperforce away in cold blood."

Otto huffed when Kitty spoke about repairing Gibson.

"I coulda done that..."

"Then why didn't you?" Sprx parried.

"Touche." Otto replied, trying to sound smart.

"Do you even know what that means?" Nova asked, rather amused at his choice of words.

"I think it has something to do with fencing?"

Nova and Sprx laughed at this remark.

"Hush you two. My word, I would have thought you would be more mature than this, especially you, Nova." Gibson was obviously disappointed, and upon realizing this, Sprx and Nova quieted.

Chiro piped in at this moment, yawning.

"Doesn't anyone sleep around here? C'mon! It's 2 AM and everyone is still up?!" After which, he collapsed back onto the bed.

Nova whispered to Kitty,

"He's just grumpy when he's overtired. Don't mind him."

"Mmm..." She sighed, looking disappointed at Antauri.

Nova quickly caught this glance and realized how distraught Kitty truly was. She kneeled down and mouthed something silently to her, pointing at Antauri. Antauri caught this motion, and asked her what she had just said. Lying, Nova replied that she was simply telling Kitty not to worry about him, that he would eventually come around, the first part had been true... As for the second part... She wasn't so sure. Antauri was usually extremely dead set in his ways when he decided on something. Just that moment, Kitty let out a sleepy yawn that made Nova and the rest of the Hyperforce realize just how sleepy they were.

Once again, Chiro had fevered dreams. Only this time, they weren't about Gibson or Skeleton King, they were about a boy in a strange place he had never seen before...


	5. Prophetic Illusions

Chapter 5:

The Ninja and The

Monkey

"If there is reason to fear the unknown,

it has yet to be seen

physically."

The rain dropped softly on the blackened alley, as he ran. His legs burning as he stepped in a puddle, sending plumes of watered serpents into the air that quickly died and fell. They were after him, they all were... The image of death flashed through his mind. He didn't believe it was his time to die, but they did. A knife flew to the right of his head, splashing in a pond sending ripples in all directions. He listened as another knife was launched at him. He caught a glimpse of the weapon as it flew past... A kunai. This wasn't good, this showed that shinobi were now after him. The game just increased in difficulty. He flicked his thumbs and forefingers together then shuffled through different formations. He whispered an "incantation" as smoke poored back, eliminating his weaker pursuers. The city streetlights poorly light the run down alley. He smelled trash, and blood. He looked up as blood dropped onto his face... It was a hanging. He choked down vomit as the kunais continued flowing down, now like rain. Quickly, he finished making the hand signs. He stared once more at the hanging bodies and the scariest part was... He recognized them. His name was Jin Hayame: Codename, Chidori. He ran, as he had been for his entire life, leaving hushed breaths to confuse pursuers. These pursuers, however, would not be tricked by such a simple manuever, they were trained to kill. He had been told all his life to run and keep running, never looking back. People in his village looked upon him as a monstrosity, they just didn't understand! To fear a child such as this was lunacy. He stopped, throat completely dry, and looked at the ocean from the top of an alleyway rooftop. It looked so peaceful... Basking in the presence of the glowing moon. It's beauty was breathtaking. As a mother watching her child would be. Suddenly, a familiar hissing broke the calm. A kunai lie at his feet, a suture strapped round the handle. The suture looked familiar, where could he have seen it? Then he remembered... paper bomb. It detonated at his feet dropping him into a lower level of a building, and out of consciousness. When he awoke, he lay not in a pile of smouldering ash, but in a valley of dense undergrowth. A forest of sorts, but one question remained. Where was he? Chidori sat up, regaining his bearings, when a Robot Monkey, in this case Antauri, appeared.

"Wh-Where am I? Ouch." He grunted, tenderly touching a wound on his arm.

The silver monkey replied.

"You were severely injured when we located you. We... did not know if you would make it."

These words crushed Chidori. He held back tears and choked them down.

I thought I was stronger than this... To be killed by a paper bomb. That would have stunk huh?

He chuckled weakly at the last part. The monkey placed an arm on Chidori's shoulder.

"Your heart has sustained a large amount of damage, I do not see what there is to be laughing about."

Chidori chuckled again as a small drop of blood dripped to his chin.

"Don't worry about me... I can take hits harder than this. All I need is a few moments and I'll be fine."

Antauri was shocked by this child's self confidence, or perhaps... Blind ignorance.

"You have had three months, you fell into a coma. I don't believe you should be this boastful. While it is astounding that you survived your wounds, you very nearly died."

His eyes grew wide in horror, as Gibson's had the day before.

Three... Three months... How? What was in that paper bomb, there is no way that was regulation! They don't have that kind of firepower. Not enough to take me down that long!

His continued self confidence astounded him.

"The bomb they used, it was laced with a sleeping agent. Someone did not want you dead. You were lucky." Antauri noted.

"What? How did you-"

"I tapped into your memories while you were in out. Three months can offer a lot of knowledge and insight into a person."

"Not me... Nobody knows who I really am."

Chidori stood up and collapsed. He grunted and looked down at his leg. It was hideously wounded.

"You are not capable of walking! Your leg is far beyond any ambulatory capabilities. You are of no use to us wounded, so please... Rest." Antauri urged this to the stubborn child. Chidori hit his leg, frustrated at his own inadequacy.

"Injuring yourself over this won't make the wound heal any faster! Please, I implore you to relax, stop fretting about the future, as we have only the present to worry about."

"You don't understand... I have no past! It's... gone."

"What do you mean?"

"The village I lived in... My family and friends now hang from the gallows of a ruined nation! You are telling me to relax? How... How can I relax when they are all gone?! Everything that made me up, has been shattered. I am no more than a hollow shell..." He finished as he buried his head in his arms and cried. No more... No more violence... No more killing. I don't want to end up forgotten...

As if sensing Chidori's fears, Antauri attempted to console him.

"You won't. Whatever crimes you committed in the past matter naught now, you are among friends."

With this, he reached out a paw, grasping Chidori's hand.

"Thank you. What is your name?" He asked, gratefully.

"My name is Antauri, and may I ask by what you prefer to be called?"

"My true name is Jin Hayame, but I am known by my codename, Chidori."

"Would it bother you if I called you Chidori?" Antauri asked cautiously.

"No. Not anymore..." He replied, looking up toward the sky.

Chiro awoke.

"Huh? Who... was that? Chidori, I think he called himself. Where did he come from?"

Hatsujima...

Chiro didn't have any clue why he thought this word, he recognized it... Although the word was completely foreign. He believed it may have been the name of the kid's village. He knew there was only one way to find out, as he rushed to wake Gibson.

"You want me to do what?" Gibson asked, rather irritated.

"I want you... To search Global Communications Nets for violent activity, war scaled."

"What?! Do you even have coordinates? Just what are you trying to drive at Chiro?"

"There is a boy... In a village called Hatsujima. I... Had a dream about him."

Gibson had often read on prophetic dreams, but he had never actually had experience with them. He decided to humor Chiro.

"Hatsujima... It's in a star system, relatively close to here."

He read an article written in bold print, and winced, then asked cautiously.

"Chiro, I realize how silly this may be, but... Do you know the boy's name?"

He did not expect a response and was rather surprised when he got one.

"He called himself Chidori. He said his real name was Jin Haya-something?"

"Jin Hayame?" Gibson asked sadly.

"Yeah... How did you- Oh."

Chiro read the print. It read "Jin Hayame, Codename, Chidori, was executed today at 4:15 AM. Funeral services are to be held at 2:45 PM. Friends and Family members need attend."

"Should I keep reading, Chiro?" Gibson asked.

"Yeah..."

"Jin Hayame was trialed from crimes against the government and governed populus. He was caught attempting to flee and was killed at a building detonation in Henataru District. No body was recovered amidst the ash of the building. He is presumed dead or dying. All military personal are authorized to fire upon sight of this man."

Chiro's eyes snapped open.

"He's not dead! We have to go there now!"

"Are you mad?! Even if the child was alive, the country is in a state of total war! They are not just going to let us walk in and take away a child... A wanted fugitive at that!"

"Then we don't walk... We run."

"You have lost it... Come now, Chiro. Be reasonable! This is not a simple search and rescue mission! This is suicide. It's war down there."

"You think I don't know that? We have to save him!"

"We don't even know if he's still alive."

"He'll be dead for sure if we do nothing. If there is another ally who can aid us in our fight... Shouldn't we make an effort to save him?"

Chiro stared into the depths of Gibson's soul.

"You know in your heart I'm right."

Gibson groaned.

"You can be truly infuriating sometimes, you realize that?"

He laughed, being careful not to touch his swollen skull.

"You better be sure about this, Chiro!"

"Believe me, Gibson. You won't regret this.

"Fine, but as I said earlier, they aren't just going to let us walk in and pick him up!"

"As I said earlier... We don't walk, we run."


End file.
